Step By Step
by Fucked Up Puppet
Summary: Love is a risk, a fleeting chance. But it can't happen over night. It takes steps, both little and large.  Challenge prompt for couples.
1. Love

Ok, so...First, I realize that I have not posted in...Well, to put it simply, a really long fucking time, but I forewarned people. I am a champ when it comes to procrastination and taking my wonderful time. As you can see, I was indeed telling the truth. But, I found out that I am wonderfully up to beat when given prompts. So, I decided, what the heck, try one of those challenge/meme things. I searched...And searched...And seeaarrched. Until! I happened upon this wonderful little prompt~

.com/art/100-Prompt-Couples-Challenge-188984637?q=boost%3Apopular%20in%3Aliterature%20prompt&qo=14

Great stuff, really, and it was directed at couples, perfect. So, credit where credit is do, check it out to see whats coming next.

Ah, and to people who read this wondering where my other stuff is. Next chapter to Nightmares is done, just need to clean it up. And I also have a little something, something up my sleeves for some peeps in a contest. I know, again, I'm slow.

Love

The Shingami looked repetitively through the thick, decrepit book. Several times he had come upon the word before this, but never quite understood what exactly the description entitled. Never before had he seen such an extensive definition before. So Kid was spending is afternoon tracking down each and every word under that one vast definition to completely grasp the seriousness of the situation.

"Affection, " Kid started in a dreary sort of way. "Fond attachment, devotion, state of being affected."

Kid let the dictionary rest more comfortably on the table. His brows knitted slightly. There was something to think about. She was what took up most of his spare time and he would never abandon her, so was that considered devotion or attachment? And being affected. Well, yes, he was well affected by the women. It was why he currently was sitting in the darkness of the library to figure out how his mind became so preoccupied with stary eyed day dreams, which were starting to invade his concentration at school. And Kid would not have that, no sir. Kid felt a gathering of misery deep within his soul and frowned. He had gotten to the point of missing class due to her. The issue had been a mere bug nibbling at his ankles, but now the problem had grown to a much larger annoyance and he could not wait another day to settle it. Again he shifted through the pages.

"Attachment," Kid recited. "A feeling that binds one to a person, thing, cause, idea, or the like."

The reaper slumped sorrowfully. This was getting no where. To be bond. It was to strong of a word! Kid would sound ludicrous if he would speak such a statement, it was a mutual liking, bind sounded so forced and obsessed. Was that how he felt then? Obsessed with her? Flipping around to the origin of his confusion he scanned the synonyms hopefully. Ah, compassion!

"A feeling of deep!-..Sympathy?"

What little of a smile that had gathered dropped as Kid truly began to think this was not a real dictionary at all. The Shingami tried again. Intimacy. Pausing, his cheeks lite a tint close to a rose. The word was used in place of more foul language, he knew, so reluctance filled him.

"Intimacy, " He read. "A close, familiar, and usually affectionate or loving personal relationship with a person or group."

The blush momentarily flared at spotting the mentioning of group at the end, but he quickly recovered with a new sense of the word about him. Kid followed back to the start, staring at the definition with a new understanding.

"Love, an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. Actions towards others in affection or based on affection. May refer specifically to the passionate desire and intimacy of romantic love"

Slowly closing the aged book, Kid rose without a sound. Walking to find the shelf where he had taken the book down. A smile graced his features. Love. That was what he was feeling, it was not just his father being mindlessly humorous about his serious situation. He absolutely felt fondness for her. She affected him so deeply his soul shivered at her presence. They were always familiar with each other. They had a personal relationship. What Kid felt was strong, solid, passionate, and desired. Yes...He loved her. With a little push the book was placed back comfortably on the shelf. Tomorrow...He would tell her tomorrow. Announce it to the whole world! Kid was going to look her straight in the eyes and say!-

"I'm late for class again!" Kid yelled, looking palely towards the clock before taking off in a dramatic sprint.


	2. Truth Be Told

Blah, another piece of the pie for ya. Something about this part bugged me, but I could not lay my finger on it, so i figured someone will feel the same way and stick it into the reviews, haha.

Speaking of reviews, they are most honorable welcome~

Good or bad, I adore them~

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><p>Truth be Told<p>

Kid leaned over the bathroom sink, breathing heavily through his nose. For the last couple hours the nauseated feeling in the pit of his stomach had kept him here, hiding away in the bathroom like a coward. Talking to her was impossible without his words being followed by something a lot less pleasant. This was an insane idea from the start!

"Dude, you gonna be all right?" Soul leaned into view behind the reaper through the mirror above Kid.

"I-I-I...I-I-" The Shinigami paled even further, if that was possible, and quickly covered a hand over his mouth.

"Geez, man, not again." Soul patted him on the back, looking off to the side with a sigh and mumbled. "This is not how I wanted to spend by Friday."

"And you think this is how I thought I would be spending mine?" Kid lifted his face from the sink, looking at Soul with a deep frown.

"Well, I don't know! It can't be that hard to talk to a girl?" Soul looked at Kid, whos face was beading with sweat once again. "Ok, ok. Look..maybe if you tell me who this is, we can work somethi-"

"No!" The reaper jumped up, almost looking as if Soul had shot him or said the most filthiest sentence in history. "No, no, no! You can't know, no one can know!"

"Whoa," Soul held up his hand, raising a brow at Kid's display. "Ok, ok. I wont ask."

Kid settled slightest at hearing this, perching his elbows on either side of the sink and dipping his face into the white porcelain with a groan.

"Soooo.." The weapon scratched the side of his neck with a little frown, staring at the bathroom door with a desperate want to get out of this situation. "Ya gonna talk to her or not?"

"I don't know how!" Kid rubbed his forehead against the coolness of the sink's nozzle. "I had it all written down...But I tried talking to her and I just...Just..."

"Yeah, froze up, I know." Soul sighed and crossed his arms. "Ok, well...Um.." The student gazed at the floor, shuffling oddly. "Maybe you can practice on me."

Kid stared at him from the sink.

"To gay?" Soul gave a deep grimace, cocking is head to the side.

"Well...Its just, its meant for her, I don't want the feelings wasted on someone else." Kid managed to pull himself from the sink, the string and tingling in his stomach settling.

"Oh, come on, your talking like a woman!" Soul laughed, approaching his friend with a hard slap to his back. "Come on, just say it to me. Pretend I'm '_the girl of your dreams_~'" Soul mocked playfully.

Kid mumbled something to himself, reluctantly tugging out a perfectly folded piece of paper from his front pocket. As he carefully unwrapped the square note he prayed this was not going to be an as humiliating experience as when he tried reading it before and went sprinting for the nearest container to spill his stomach into.

"Dearest anonymous, " Kid started with a nervous glance from the paper to Soul. "I-I can not put into exact words how I feel..B-But I can try to get as close as possible using what knowledge I have gathered of the feeling...I feel like I have an intimate connection with you. That we have an attraction to one another such as a personal closeness that-"

"Ok, stop."

"What?" Kid looked panicked. "Whats wrong with it? Does it sound-Hey!"

Within a couple seconds Soul had snatched the paper from Kid's hands, grinning like the clever fox he was. Before any more words could be exchanged the weapon had grasped the paper with both hands and ripped the sheet it half. Then ripped that half in half. Then that half, half in half. And tossed the shredded paper around the room in a blizzard like display. As the little shreds fell to the ground Kid barely had enough time to contain his anger.

"You ruined my speech!" Kid blurted out, grasping the falling pieces of paper in desperation.

"Your not giving a damn speech, Kid." Soul tugged the paper from his hands again, tossing it over his shoulder. "Come on, man, talk from the heart! This isn't some essay you have to write for class."

Soul gave Kid's chest a playful little punch, which caused the teenager to let out a grunt of pain. Kid did talk from the heart, he wrote it all down when he was talking from the heart and now it was gone!

"I'll forget what I'm going to say if it isn't written down, Soul, you don't understand." Kid voiced his complaint.

"Praaactice man, come on." Soul smirked, pushing his hand over Kid's eyes. "Just imagine this chicks in front of ya, and just...Talk."

Kid shifted nervously, feeling the warm heat flow through his body followed by the break out of a cold sweet over his skin. This, he was thinking, was absolutely childish. Who just talked about something so personal like this? Crazy people! It was going to sound like a rumbled mess now that he had to speak from memory. But maybe there was something in not sounding so formal?..He truely could not have guessed how this exchange went about, he just assumed.

"Just..Talk." Kid repeated in a doubtful tone.

"Yes, you gotta trust me." Soul gave him an encouraging nudge with his shoulder.

"All right..."

Kid composed his thoughts. Slowly, in the darkness of his covered eyes, the image of her appeared. The slenderness of her body, movement of her locks, and brightness of her eyes. He gulped down the nausea in his throat before opening his mouth to speak.

"H-Hey..."

He broke out in a furious blush. _Great_ opening line. This was going terribly all ready. Kid just hoped whatever nonsense poured from his mouth she was going to understand.

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><p>There was an erry silence that filled the reaper's dinning room. He stared down into his tea, looking desperately around the green waters in search of his words from earlier. But he was drawing a blank with each passing second and it filled the air with an uncomfortable heat.<p>

"Kid, is everything all right?"

The shinigami gave a light flinch at the sound of her voice, peering up with gloomy eyes from his herbal tea. He almost entirely forgot she was even in the same room as him. She was sitting a crossed from him, waiting. Kid tried to open his mouth several times to speak, but all that came out was a shaky breath. Why was it so hard to make one little word all the sudden! And her voice, why did it have to be so intoxicating to him? It was familiar and soft and wonderful! It made him want to stand right up and...And...He did not even know what, but it felt amazing hearing her!

"I..."

His body tensed and his voice clamped shut. The pale hands wrapped tightly around his cup shook unbearably fast, causing little clinks and ticks to clatter from hitting the plate below.

"I-I want to talk to you..." He managed, still keeping his eyes sealed shut.

"O..k...Well, what do you want to talk about?"

"...You.."

"..Me?.."

Kid began to shake even further. He sounded stupid! So incredibly stupid right now! What was wrong with him, did he really think this was ever going to work, him and her? Before doubt filled his mind further he seemed to unconsciously push out the words.

"I can't..stop thinking about y-you..." Kid sucked in a worried breath at the suddenness of himself speaking. "..I can't even talk to you properly now...Just knowing your there...Makes me act like an idiot, shaking like this."

He seemed to notice while talking the sounds from his cup were getting annoyingly loud, so he let his only stabilizer go fro the moment, his hands resting unevenly in his lap. Which made him awkwardly grab onto the legs of his pants, crumbling the black fabric into his balled up fists.

"..Your unbelievable, " Kid started again, trying to keep his nerves collected. "Unbelievable smile...Unbelievable voice...Your hair, your eyes, your...Everything...Just everything-"

"K-Kid, Wha?-"

"Please!" His eyes shot open as he spoke in desperation."...Please...Let me finish."

She looked shocked. Like a witness to a murder, which he figured was probably true considering how jumbled up his words were getting. And if he screwed himself over all ready, he figured there was no reason in not spilling all his cards on the table now.

"..I know this sounds like its coming out of no where, maybe it is, but I've felt like this for weeks..And..I just can't keep sitting here and acting like everything is fine when it is clearly not. I feel..incredible around you." Kid spoke with an on coming smile. "My stomach turns...My soul lights on fire. I want to be around you for..Hours and hours, and...And just be in your presence. I feel...I feel fantastic, amazing, over-whelmed, blessed!"

Kid was breathing heavily. Having spoken without pausing in fear of her cutting into his words before he could finish. She was staring at him in a lost-but-found sort of way and it made his heart throb in confidence and his smile continue to show itself.

"Truth be told..." Kid stared deeply into her eyes, the luminous orbs connecting and holding. "...I think I love you, Liz."

Liz Thompson stopped breathing. For a whole course of ten seconds, no air or words passed her throat. This man, her Meister, her dearest friend, confessed to loving her. It was something even her wildest dreams had not cooked up yet.

"I know it sounds ridiculous, Liz. But I just had to tell you." Kid looked back down into the tea, cupping his hands back around the cup in a way to comfort himself.

Liz stared at him in utter amazement. She never imagined him doing something like this, not ever. Liz just figured someday his father was going to arrange him to pick a wife or he was going to find some perfect, refined girl in the city to have by his side.

"Kid..." She smiled, reaching a hand a crossed the table and grazing the coolness of his fingers.

This caused the reaper to look up at her with hope and gloom in his golden eyes.

"...I think I love you too."


	3. Wait, What?

I'm glad a lot of people are liking this~

Makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside~

Thank god for finding this prompt otherwise these ideas would have taken years to get outta my head, haha.

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><p>Wait, What?<p>

"Wait, what?"

Kid had his eyes pierced open in a dramatic manner making Liz smile widely.

"You heard me, Kid." She spoke, tangling a single finger around one of his own.

The Meister took a couple seconds to register what had just happened. While the expectation of being punched in the face, beat to near death, and called a pervert was still about his mind, it was slowly being replaced with utter eden. She was _actually _saying yes to him! She _really _liked him! Maybe even _loved _him! Kid jerked straight out of his seat, nearly spilling the tea all over the table and almost doing the same to Liz as he pulled her from the seat a crossed from him.

"Y-Your saying you'll consider me?" He said excitedly, smiling from ear to ear.

"Why wouldn't I?" Liz chuckled, her brows knitting in confusion.

Kid thought she was obviously insane by this point. Looking at her with an oblivious expression.

"I'm necrotic for Death's sake, Liz!" Kid's voice cracked out, denouncing himself like he was trying to convince Liz to take back what she just agreed to.

"I'm kinda stuck with that part of you either way, aren't I?" Liz gave a cocky smile.

Kid's breathing slowed slightly, his smile twitching back onto his face. A thought passed his mind, that maybe he had died from his panic and this was his own little slice of a perfect life, because everything seemed absolutely surreal in his eyes. Not in any extreme manner (there was not a purple whale or anything floating around the room), but he never thought this was possible.

"Is this what you were trying to tell me before..at the academy?" She asked, letting her hand slide free from his own.

"Ye-Yeah.." Kid laughed nervously.

"Ha, you know, I was actually worried about getting kicked outta here?" Liz re-seated herself, smiling with a newly found happiness surrounding her.

"I'd never!-"

"Kid, " Liz smiled at his nervousness. "I know...I just would never have thought you were gonna say something like this."

Kid nodded, feeling another emotion start to over whelm his senses and replace the warmth her presence gave him.

"So this means I can hold your hand in public...And you would not care?" He asked with reluctance.

"Mmhm."

"..So, you...You are saying-"

"I'm saying I'm your girlfriend, Kid." Liz smirked. "You can kiss me in public if you wanted."

"W-W-Well I-I don't think.." Kid murmured out the rest of his words incoherently, face a blast of crimson.

"I'm just messin' with you." She chuckled, standing herself up.

Kid gave a tiny smile. The thought of holding hands was embarrassing enough, especially with her at his side, he did not even wanna _fathom _kissing the woman. At least not now.

"We can talk more tomorrow, Kid, but it is really late." Liz started around the dining table, wearing a small smirk.

"Oh, so it is..Seems I lost track of time..." Kid mumbled, looking at the clock himself.

During his distraction Liz approached him. And in that persistent, Brooklyn manner that was unique to only herself, she wrapped her arms around Kid's neck like a caress of a snake. With a face flushed as red as the blood pumping through his body and mouth gaped like a fish straight out of water to the frying pan, she planted a gentle kiss on his check.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Liz said softly, giving his hair a light ruffle before strutting up the stairs to her bedroom.

Kid stood completely stiff, as if by some power he had turned into solid stone by the kiss. Liz had went and done something completely uncalled for and all together quiet forward in his books. The pounding in his chest was sounding in his eardrums and he felt like he would go into spontaneous combustion any second now. Luckily for Liz, all this just made him adore her even further.

"Y-Yeah...Tomorrow..." He mumbled.


	4. Want

Unfortunately while writing these romantic little parts I sometimes manage to make things cheesie and overly smothered with lovey dovey conversation. I don't _think_ i did that with this one, or at least I hope, heh.

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><p>Want<p>

Kid had his eyes closed, being perfectly settled between two pillows, the blankets pulled up to just below his shoulders. Hands laid stiffly atop his chest, moving slowly up and down with every breath he took in and out. Everything in his presence was quiet and still. It was the only way he could sleep, in complete darkness and without a trace of asymmetry to be found. The air even smelled perfect and calm. Within the deep subconsciousness of Kid's sleep, the reaper sometimes did not hear the sound of his own door opening and closing. Followed by a gentle pitter and patter of feet on his floor. It was not until his bed shifted unevenly around him that his eyes opened wearily in realization. Each pillow beside him was tugged gently from under his arm and the coolness of the fabric was replaced by a touch of warmth.

"Girls?" He asked in a sleepy tone, his arms simultaneously reaching to touch the smooth shoulder of each sister.

"Don't leave, Kid." Patti's small voice drifted from his left, her head buried against his arm with a frightened grip.

"She had a bad dream." Liz spoke from his right, touching the tips of his fingers with her own once Kid had brushed her shoulder.

"I'm right here, Patti." Kid spoke gently. "It was a dream, no ones leaving.."

Kid steadied his breath, re-closing his eyes into his comforting darkness. This was a rare occurrence, sense they were growing older and more mature, but Kid never minded. He liked to comfort his weapons, truthfully the reason for sleeping with pillows beside him was during their time together he grew quiet fond of having the women occupy his side at night. Patti curled her body against his side, clasping his arm in a vice grip that never seemed to falter. He guessed Patti felt the same way. A small smile passed his lips. Liz soon joined her sister, leaning her head against his shoulder. She ran her fingers down his arm, barely touching his skin, until she found the strong safety of his hand. Kid reacted before her, capturing her slender little fingers within his own like a trap. He felt her smile.

"We don't have to stay." Liz whispered gently.

Their fingers entangled within each others slowly, plucking at each others nails and making ticklish little movements along the palms.

"I want you to." Kid murmured back in his sleepy state, giving her hand a reassuring grasp.

The atmosphere became soothing as Liz melted into the coldness of her boyfriend's shoulder. Kid was always oddly cold, she always noticed that when they were together. Actually, she could not recall the last time they had all been together like this, maybe it was last summer, maybe even further? She was unsure of exactly when, but she was sure she missed those nights. Kid never expressed himself as deeply as when he was in the comfort of sleep, his nerves just would not allow him that leisure. She had become something special to him nearly a month ago, and still, nothing by mere peaks and small romantic gestures passed between them. Liz partly blamed herself for having such an intimidating ego with men, but she could not help but worry about Kid.

"Do you miss nights like this?.." Liz asked with a courageous shift of her body, draping a leg over Kids.

Kid's breathed in deeply, shifting his arm to pull the woman closer to his body. Her locks dripped from their hold between her head and the pillow, grazing his chest with little ticklish movements as they fell.

"Mmhm." Kid mumbled, tilting his head slightly to rest his forehead against the top of her head.

Liz smiled and returned the gesture with a small snuggle. He was good to her..And loved her. That was all that matter in the end. Deep down, she knew, he wanted their relationship to be as intimate as these nights were.

"Shall we give them a try more often?" Liz grazed the reaper's cheek with her own, looking at his slowly opening eyes with a small smile.

"I'd like that." Kid spoke softly, returning the devious sparkle in her eyes with a small blush.

Liz chuckled calmly, curling herself back against his body with a sigh. Kid closed his eyes and thought..He did want them to be closer, but it was that want that kept him distancing themselves back to the start. Never before had he been so over-whelmed with one emotion from just a glance at this woman. He feared losing that feeling, losing her over something he did wrong. Kid was no expert in love, which his mind constantly nagged at him about, but he was willing to try. He just needed something to push him over the edge. And maybe a couple nights alone was what they needed.


End file.
